After finishing, everyone grabbed their own luggage and headed back to the courtyard. Shen Zhiyao returned to her rented small house. The house was a simple earthen structure, with straw poking out from the roof. Pushing open the wooden door, the first thing that greeted her eyes was a tiny stove with a pot on it. Next to it was a wooden rack holding a thick tree trunk—probably used as a chopping block. Nearby sat a small water tank, which was empty. The rest of the room was even simpler: a single kang bed without even a mat, and the floor was all bare earth. It looked like no one had lived here for a long time.
Shen Zhiyao furrowed her brow. This was the first time in her life she had stayed in a mud-and-straw house. You never know which will come first, surprise or misfortune—and she seemed to have both at once.
Soon, two women arrived—hired to clean her house. They greeted her warmly. “Little girl, the village chief sent us. Wait outside for now; the room is really dusty!”
“Okay, aunts. I’ll go to the village to get a few things. This room has nothing—do you know anyone who can make furniture?”
One of the women replied, “My husband can make it. His craftsmanship is excellent. Everyone in the village comes to him if they need furniture. Go find my daughter outside; she’ll take you to him.”
Shen Zhiyao thanked her and went outside, where she saw a small girl. She looked a bit skinny but smiled at Shen Zhiyao without fear. Shen Zhiyao handed her two White Rabbit candies, and the girl grinned even wider. Shen Zhiyao told her she needed to see her father about furniture, and the girl turned and motioned for her to follow.
At the carpenter’s house, several finished pieces were on display. Shen Zhiyao didn’t want to wait—her room had no place to put anything. She bought two large chests for the kang, a table, two stools, a large standing cabinet for the floor, and a kitchen bowl rack, paying six yuan for the labor. The wood itself would be settled with the village later, since everything in this era was publicly owned.
Shen Zhiyao noticed the carpenter’s son weaving things—backpacks and baskets. This family was clearly full of artisans! She also asked if they had ready-made straw mats and ended up buying two rolls of mats, a backpack, and a basket for three yuan. Then she handed the carpenter’s son a few pieces of candy to deliver to the sent-down youth quarters, using the excuse of being too weak from her cold.
This wasn’t Shen Zhiyao “acting like a capitalist lady.” She was just a modern person who couldn’t endure such hardships.
The carpenter and his son used a handcart they had made to carry everything back in one trip. The daughter followed behind, holding candy, hopping along happily. At the small earthen house, she helped put everything inside, and the carpenter’s wife even wiped things clean. Once finished, the family left together, followed by the other cleaning woman.
Shen Zhiyao laid out the two rolls of straw mat on the kang, folded her clothes into the cabinet, and planned to go to town that afternoon—otherwise, she wouldn’t be able to get things out properly tomorrow.
Seeing no one around, she slipped into her space. Without even greeting Bai Bai, she dashed into the mansion’s bathroom, filled the massage bathtub, and eagerly jumped in. “Ah… this is living!” she sighed in delight.
After bathing, she didn’t dry her hair. Her wet hair, long, smooth, and straight, fell like a waterfall down her back.
She used her consciousness to fetch a few dishes in the kitchen and ate ravenously. After finishing, she drank a glass of spirit spring water to recover.
Once done, she changed into a blue floral dress with small white shoes, tied her hair in a low ponytail, and left the space. She couldn’t always wear a mask—she had to live here for two years. If someone tried anything, it would be their misfortune, not hers.
In the kitchen, she saw the two women filling the water tank. “Wow, this five-cent expense was totally worth it. Back in my old world, no one would bother picking up five cents off the ground,” she thought, scooping water in her enamel basin to splash out—proof that she had washed her hair in the house. It was inconvenient to do such mundane things, but she had to clear a path for everything she did.
Lost in thought, she splashed the water out without looking outside.
The splash drenched Lu Sicheng.
Shen Zhiyao looked up and met his deep, piercing eyes. Her heart skipped a beat… even in her dreams, she had never seen his face clearly. Now, it was the first time she examined him carefully. He was very tall, probably close to 1.9 meters, not fat but solidly built, broad shoulders giving a sense of security. His body lines were smooth, his long legs straight and powerful. His short dark hair and chiseled face exuded strength. His cold, piercing eyes seemed capable of seeing into one’s soul. Thick eyebrows, a small mole on his nose, slightly curved, sexy lips, and an excellent chin—all gave him a long, striking face. Years of wind and sun had not darkened him too much; his skin was slightly yellow and oily, exuding masculine energy.
Shen Zhiyao had already fantasized about him a dozen times… but she had crossed over here specifically to repay him in person. Why did the first meeting have to be so unforgettable?
On the surface, Lu Sicheng’s expression seemed normal, but inside he was suppressing an immense surge of emotion. The girl in front of him had skin as white as a peeled egg, a tiny face filled with fear, teary eyes, a tall, slender body, perfect proportions, and a blue dress that made her look almost otherworldly. She was like a sprite—impossible to look away from.
But he could not voice his emotions.
“You use those two holes on your nose to breathe, right?”
Shen Zhiyao froze for several seconds. She had always been the one doing the teasing before—never on the receiving end!
She thought for a moment: Better to hold back… one can be humiliated, but not insulted. There are many ways to repay kindness… but no way am I taking this! Enough is enough!
With a slight smile, she said: “Sorry, Uncle, I didn’t see your breathing holes. They say the eyes are the window to the soul—you should clean your windows too, and you didn’t even dodge when I splashed water on you!”
Her smile almost made Lu Sicheng laugh. Damn, she was beautiful, and her voice soft and sweet—but her little mouth was sharp, taking no losses!
Better that she was clever; otherwise, she would just be an easy little bunny to be exploited.
Lu Sicheng smiled too, showing two small canine teeth—an unexpectedly cute contrast.
“Comrade, you really don’t take a loss, splashing water like that!”
“Why should I? I splashed water, but I apologized too. Sorry, Uncle!”
She bent down and gave him a deep ninety-degree bow.
Lu Sicheng: “….”
“Old people say suffering is a blessing.”
Shen Zhiyao: “Then I wish you blessings as vast as the East Sea!”
She let out a small hum, slammed the basin down with a clang, closed the door, and returned to the space.